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Updated: Jun 28, 2025

A New Straightforward Method for Lipophilicity logP Measurement using 19F NMR Spectroscopy
Published on: January 30, 2019
Activation of fluoride anion as nucleophile in water with data-guided surfactant selection
Krishna Sharma1, Alison McCorry1, Samuel Boobier1
1School of Chemistry, University of Leeds Woodhouse Lane LS2 9JT UK b.nguyen@leeds.ac.uk.
Abstract:
A principal component surfactant_map was developed for 91 commonly accessible surfactants for use in surfactant-enabled organic reactions in water, an important approach for sustainable chemical processes. This map was built using 22 experimental and theoretical descriptors relevant to the physicochemical nature of these surfactant-enabled reactions, and advanced principal component analysis algorithms. It is comprised of all classes of surfactants, i.e. cationic, anionic, zwitterionic and neutral surfactants, including designer surfactants. The value of this surfactant_map was demonstrated in activating simple inorganic fluoride salts as effective nucleophiles in water, with the right surfactant. This led to the rapid development (screening 13-15 surfactants) of two fluorination reactions for β-bromosulfides and sulfonyl chlorides in water. The latter was demonstrated in generating a sulfonyl fluoride with sufficient purity for direct use in labelling of chymotrypsin, under physiological conditions.
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